Denver ranks No. 2 on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the 2017 Best Places to live, losing the top-of-the-list status it held last year to Austin, Texas.

U.S. News analyzed 100 cities based on quality of life, job market, as well as the value of living there and people’s desire to live there. Denver received an overall score of 7.5 out of 10, down from 7.8 points in 2016.

Austin, which was No. 2 last year, with a 7.7 score last year, received an overall score of 7.8 out of 10 on the 2017 list.

San Jose, Calif., ranked No 3, with a 7.4 overall score, and Washington was fourth with 7.3.

The magazine gave Denver’s job market 8 out of 10 points, spotlighting a concentration of research institutions, like the University of Colorado and the University of Denver, and prominent industries including biotech, health care, finance and telecommunications.

“The Mile High City has a low unemployment rate compared to the national average,” the magazine said. “Denver residents also earn more on average than residents in other parts of the country.”

Denver received 7.8 out of 10 for students readiness to enter college, a higher score than similarly sized metro areas.

Cost of living in Denver ranked 7.2 out of 10, which the magazine said made the city a better value than like-sized metro areas. Housing costs dipped to $314,021 on the 2017 list, compared with $323,217 last year. For the U.S., housing costs were estimated at $211,731 for 2017, compared with $213,588 last year.

The city received 7 out of 10 for its crime rate compared with metro areas of a similar size, however some might quibble with the cities the magazine labels similar metro areas: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

“Despite its reputation as a safe area, Denver has seen an uptick in crime – some of which is gang-related. However, compared to other U.S. metro areas of its size, Denver’s crime rates are relatively low,” the magazine said.

Helen H. Richardson, Denver Post file

The skyline of Denver as seen from South Colorado Boulevard on April 4. Colorado added 100,986 people to its population between 2014 and 2015, making it the second-fastest growing state in the U.S., according to recent population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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